[Toxicologic evaluation of pyrethroids in indoor air: demonstrated with the example of cyfluthrin and permethrin].

Pyrethroids have varying activities depending on vehicle or route of administration (oral, dermal, inhalational). Specific features like the sensory irritation potential of the alpha-cyano-pyrethroids on the respiratory tract can only be quantified adequately by inhalation testing. Thus equitoxic dosages can vary between inhalative and oral application, especially for alpha-cyano-pyrethrolds. The no-effect values for chronic exposures derived for permethrin (type I pyrethroid) and cyfluthrin (type II pyrethroid) show clearly, that each pyrethroid has to be considered as an individual substance toxicologically, and that any extrapolation from the oral to the inhalative route should only be done after a thorough assessment of the specific toxicological profile. The study of simulated pest control measures on carpets pretreated with permethrin showed, that no significant enrichment of permethrin in total dust could be seen from a carpet additionally treated with pyrethroids. The missing correlation between absolute (mg pyrethroid/m3 air) and relative (mg pyrethroid/kg dust) concentrations in air-borne dust as well as the low degree of translocation of pyrethroids from carpets (only about 0.044% x m(-2) x h(-1) of the cyfluthrin applied to the carpet can be regarded as possibly respirable) prove, that analyses of pyrethroids in household sedimented dust ("vacuum cleaner bag analyses") without knowing the absolute surface concentration and respective air concentrations are of little value for risk assessment. The data allow the conclusion, that a scientific assessment of health risks is only possible based on absolute concentrations of pyrethroids in indoor air.